Photo-Bruce_OPT
July 25, 2016

County of Bruce to Reduce Energy and Water Consumption with Ecosystem-Led Energy Retrofit

The County of Bruce has selected Ecosystem as the winning bidder to provide integrated energy performance contracting (IEPC) services in four of the County’s buildings. The $3.4 million project will generate guaranteed annual energy savings of $273,288 and is expected to receive $251,800 in incentives. The four buildings, covering an area of 278,500 square feet, are:

  • The Administration Building at 30 Park St., Walkerton, ON
  • Brucelea Haven Long Term Care Home at 41 McGivern St., Walkerton, ON
  • Gateway Haven Long Term Care Home at 671 Frank St., Wiarton, ON
  • The Museum & Cultural Centre at 33 Victoria St. N., Southhampton, ON

The County issued a public request for proposals (RFP) to invite bids from qualified IEPC firms back in September 2015. The County specifically wanted an Energy Efficiency and Savings Retrofit Project, where the savings and grants would pay for the capital investment.

“Our Evaluation Committee reviewed the proposals submitted and decided on Ecosystem because their proposal delivered the highest overall value,” explained Gary Gray, Purchasing Manager at County of Bruce. “This project will reduce energy and water consumption, while using future savings to pay for the capital expenses incurred.”

Ecosystem’s model converts energy waste to capital dollars; therefore the County is paying less to the utility and those savings are invested in energy efficiency and the renewal of ageing mechanical assets. The energy conservation measures to be implemented include a lighting retrofit, building automation system (BAS) upgrades, a micro combined heat and power plant, and various equipment replacements and upgrades. The project also includes a stakeholder education and awareness program that will be provided by Ecosystem’s dedicated Education and Awareness team.

“Our County is a two-hour drive northwest of Toronto so we want a team that is willing and able to commit to on-site presence and has experience with rural projects,” Gray continued. “Ecosystem meets both criteria, in additional to having a very strong track record in delivering its energy savings guarantees.”

Both Ecosystem and the County have agreed to an iterative contract, which allows the County to review and approve the project phase by phase.

Ecosystem engineers are currently completing the detailed study, and construction is expected to start in early 2017.

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